her would fain have taught him his own craft, for that, because
he was poor, he could not spend money upon him to have him taught
[another] trade or art [145] or the like; [146] so he carried him to his
shop, that he might teach him his craft of tailoring; but, forasmuch
as the lad was perverse and wont still to play with the boys of the
quarter, [147] he would not sit one day in the shop; nay, he would watch
his father till such time as he went forth the place to meet a customer
[147] or on some other occasion, when he would flee forth incontinent
and go out to the gardens with the good-for-nothing lads like himself.
This, then, was his case, [148] and he would not obey his parents, nor
would he learn a craft. His father sickened of his grief and chagrin for
his son's perversity and died, whilst Alaeddin abode on that his wise.
When his mother saw that her husband had departed this life [149] and
that her son was a scapegrace and a good-for-nought, she sold the
shop and all she found therein and fell to spinning cotton and feeding
herself and her graceless son Alaeddin with her toil. The latter,
seeing himself quit of his father's danger, [150] redoubled in his
gracelessness and his perversity and would not abide in their house save
eating-whiles; and his poor wretched mother supported him [151] by the
spinning of her hands till he came to fifteen years of age.

One [152] day of the days, as he sat in the street, playing with the
vagabond boys, behold, a Maugrabin [153] dervish came up and stopping
to look at the lads, singled out Alaeddin from his comrades and fell to
gazing upon him and straitly considering his favour. Now this dervish
was from the land of Hither Barbary [154] and he was an enchanter who
would cast mountain upon mountain with his sorcery and was skilled to
boot in physiognomy. [155] When he had well considered Alaeddin, he said
in himself, "Certes, this boy is he whom I seek and he it is in quest of
whom I came forth from my country." So he took one of the lads apart and
asked him of Alaeddin, whose son he was, and questioned him of all his
affairs; after which he went up to Alaeddin and taking him aside, said
to him, "Harkye, boy, art thou not the son of such an one the tailor?"
And he answered him, saying "Yes, O my lord; but my father died awhile
agone." When the Maugrabin magician heard this, he threw himself upon
Alaeddin and embracing him, fell to kissing him and weeping, that his
tears ran down